


Tainted

by BooItsMi



Category: Stranger Things (TV 2016)
Genre: Canon Compliant, Canon-Typical Violence, F/M, Kinda, M/M, Sauna Scene Fix-It, Will has Powers, Will-centric, decriptions of the violence in the episode so fair warning, not really idk, subtle byeler themes
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-15
Updated: 2019-07-15
Packaged: 2020-06-28 14:14:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,661
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19813978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BooItsMi/pseuds/BooItsMi
Summary: Finding out if Billy was the Mind Flayer's new host proved to be more difficult and taxing than any members of the Party ever imagined it being- and it all came down to one William Byers. (Sauna Test Fix-It Fic; ST3 Spoilers Ahead!)





	Tainted

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so first things first, I'm rusty and this was a little bit rushed considering I stayed up really late to write this little one-shot! So, I'm so sorry if it feels weird or off but oh well FKLDSKF  
> Basically, I'm upset at a lot of things in ST3- mainly the fact that Will was shoved aside a lot, the Mind Flayer forgot he existed, and I could've sworn our boy would've had some powers by the end of it. So, I decided to rewrite the sauna scene and gave it a will-centric plot. Just cause I can.  
> Enjoy!

“LET ME OUT, YOU **BITCH**.”

It was nonstop yelling; absolute madness once the Mind Flayer felt what the Party was doing to Billy and discovered He didn’t like it one bit. Max was in tears at her brother’s distress, the group was watching with petrified bodies, and Billy was a raving lunatic. 

It was a nightmare, to put it bluntly.

“I’LL FUCKING GUT YOU-”

Max yelped as Billy grabbed the bar out from the chains, tossing it in her direction.

With shaky hands, Lucas raised his slingshot as Max ran to his side, ready to knock Billy back a few steps when-

“ **You**.”

* * *

Everyone slowed to a stop at the single word, excluding El, who kept nudging the group back in a desperate manner, trying her best to protect them from the beast across the room. All eyes followed Billy’s hard gaze, their looks of horror melting into slight confusion when they noticed said gaze fell past El and straight over to-

 _Will_ , who stood petrified with wide eyes underneath the blinking lights. Goosebumps littered the back of his neck as the Mind Flayer possessed more and more of the husk that had been Hawkins’ favorite lifeguard.

Never in a million years did the young Cleric dream he’d ever have to face Him again.

Billy gave a slight grin behind the shattered glass, cruel and insane. Veins littered his neck and face, cuts accompanying them from his earlier breaking of the window. The sight of him, plus the way he had just gone from batshit crazy to eerie calm in a matter of seconds, caused slight terror to strike the hearts of everyone in the room.

“It’s _Will_ , right?” the deep voice asked, his grin widening a bit.

El’s glare deepened.

Will glanced at the chains locking the door to the bent pipe, unable to keep his stomach from churning as the weight of the situation really began to set in.

 _Please hold,_ he desperately thought, wanting nothing but time to figure out how to get him and his friends out safely now that they knew Billy was the next host. _Please._

“Sweet, little, _weak_ Will Byers,” said host continued, sweat dripping down his forehead as his eyes raked over the boy’s form. _Like a predator with his prey_. “He says hi and... He misses you.” The laugh that followed sent chills down Will’s spine.

Upon hearing this, Mike instantly made a face mixed with fury and disgust, his hand instinctively finding its way to Will’s as if to secure the boy to his side in a silent promise: _He won’t get you._

Despite everything, Mike grabbing his hand was the most surreal thing that’s happened to the younger Byers boy that day.

Chuckling a bit more, Billy stepped back a bit, his dead eyes never leaving Will.

“ _We’re coming for you_.”

Billy suddenly leapt, slamming himself into the door, the chains straining against the handle and the pipe. Will jumped, his heart catching in his throat as he noticed the force had bent the pipe holding the door shut. “No- nonono…” he whimpered, realizing that their little plan wasn’t going to hold up much longer.

They needed to get out and they needed to get out _fast_.

But as Will looked around, he noticed that no one was moving despite the mortal danger they were all in. It seemed as if none of the Party members could tear their eyes away from the scene unfolding in front of them.

Billy slammed into the door again, the pipe beside the door starting to hiss as steam poured through the newly formed exits. Mike pulled Will closer to him as the protective instinct that had laid dormant inside of him for so long began to kick back in.

“There’s _no way_ he can get out of there,” Lucas wheezed as the host across from them drew back, his eyes wide with disbelief. “Absolutely no way in hell- _right?!”_ No one answered.

Unfortunately for him and the rest of the kids, though, Billy wasn’t exactly himself. Nothing was impossible.

“Behind me-” El suddenly snapped, pushing Will, Max, and them back even more than before. Her face was twisted into a look of resoluteness- _she wasn’t about to let this beast hurt the ones she loved._

The lights above them began to flicker at an alarming rate and through the tense atmosphere, a blood-curdling scream suddenly rang out from the sauna, chilling the blood of everyone in that room. 

A moment passed, giving the group just a second to prepare themselves before Billy ran at the door once more, slamming into it with all of his might. The door then finally gave way and the older teen crashed onto the ground a few feet away from the Party.

The group scattered immediately, each of them backing away in a desperate attempt to put as much space between themselves and Billy as they could- 

All except for El, who stood in the middle of them glaring and ready.

Billy finally picked himself up off of the ground after gathering himself, his chest noticeably rising and falling with every labored breath. An unpleasant feeling nipped at the back of Will’s neck the moment his eyes locked with Billy’s through the flashing lights.

Just as Mike had made his promise earlier, the monster made His own.

 _I_ will _get you._

Everything that happened next was a complete blur for Will. Mike shoved the smaller boy behind himself protectively, El immediately moving herself into the enemy’s line of vision, blocking the monster off from the rest of them. Before Billy could react, El let out a shout, teeth gritted as her hand flew out and sent a 100lb barbell flying into him. 

The possessed man flew back, hands urgently gripping the heavy equipment as El drove the weight further and further into his straining neck. The brick behind the weights crumbled under the sheer amount of power El was exuding. Max let out a cry, her heart breaking as she watched the man she called brother be put down like an animal gone rabid. Upon hearing her distress, Lucas quickly took Max into his arms, pulling the girl away from the action as he watched with dismay.

To Will, it seemed like El would win.

It seemed like the Party would leave unscathed and this Upside-Down situation wouldn’t blow up like it did the last two times.

But fate wasn’t ever kind and he quickly found that he was wrong- oh so _wrong._

Billy let out a shriek, pushing the bar back and throwing it at the small girl using nothing but the anger boiling his blood. El cried out as she fell, a bit disoriented, and Will could’ve sworn his heart was about to give at the sight.

A dirty hand gripped El’s hair, yanking her head back and causing her to cry out once more. Her assailant then turned his head, eyes as cold and blank as stone as he silently dared anyone to stop him from grabbing her neck and lifting her into the air.

_Revenge never felt so good to a psychopath._

“ _No- NO!”_ El wailed fearfully, punching his arms and kicking her feet as his other hand joined in and more pressure was pressed into her throat. Her cries suddenly cut off and instead, she wheezed and choked, gasping for air as black dots began to cloud her vision.

Max and Lucas could only stare in fright, neither one in the right mindset to react. No one could blame them. It was all happening so fast.

Will finally stepped forward, a bit breathless from the adrenaline kicking into his system. He was desperate, wanting to do _something, ANYTHING-_

 _His fingers tingled a bit, an unfamiliar feeling coursing through his veins_ -

Any rational thought the Cleric had, however, went washing down the drain as Mike let go of his hand and jumped forward, grabbing a loose metal bar and coming down on Billy’s back with it as hard as his scrawny arms could hit.

“GO TO HELL, YOU PIECE OF **SHIT**!” Mike screamed, his blood boiling with barely contained fury.

However, a pipe was nowhere near enough to stop Billy completely and before he could blink, Mike found himself backed up against the wall, his eyes wide as the taller loomed over him with nothing but murder on his mind.

Time slowed down for Will in that moment, dread gripping his heart as he watched his best friend- the boy he loved more than anything- be cornered and surely killed in a matter of seconds. El was still out of commission, recovering from her attack, and Lucas and Max didn’t have a means of stopping the man.

Will stepped forward.

_He didn’t think._

_He didn’t hesitate._

_He couldn’t afford to._

“ **NO!** ”

As if on autopilot, Will’s hand shot out, instinct completely taking over his body as his mind went blank. The sound of crackling cut sharply through the air and before anyone could blink, one of the fluorescent lights above shattered, a wave of energy pushing Billy away from the freckled boy and hard into the wall opposite of him, knocking the air out of the host’s lungs.

Billy fell back onto the floor. Will moved quickly, using this time to run and stand in front of Mike and El protectively. The older boy had grabbed his ex-girlfriend and was now holding her close in an attempt to protect her from further harm. Mike’s eyes, however, never left their Cleric-

The same Cleric who didn’t even have time to process what had just happened; what he had _just_ **_done_ ** _._

Their assailant eventually got back onto his feet, letting out a low growl as he caught his balance.

Despite his tough act, Billy was tired and that gave Will the courage to take a step towards him.

_No more running._

Will licked his lips.

 _It’s_ my _turn to fight._

“ _Rat_ ,” the older teen spat, _His_ voice lacing the host’s as he walked forward. “You could barely fight us off before, William. What makes you think you’re not as weak as you were? Because of your _shiny new ability?_ ”

The smaller’s eyes narrowed, his fingertips burning a bit as instinct kicked back in, his adrenaline pumping through him like crazy.

“You’re **tainted** ,” the monster said, stopping just a few feet away. “Which means… you’re _ours_. Don’t you forget that.”

Billy finally lunged forward, ready to take him down-

but Will was ready.

“ ** _Fuck_** **_you_** _,"_ he spat, his hand shooting out once more, pouring every ounce of pain, fury, and determination into his attack. An electric current sailed through the air, striking the middle of Billy’s chest and sending him flying back into the wall. He crashed through it and hit the outside ground hard, unmoving.

Silence.

After a moment, Lucas and Max finally moved forward, walking over with the rest of the group and peering out the hole in the wall. They all watched as Billy swiftly regained consciousness, pushing himself back up onto his feet with a weird grunt. However, instead of attacking them again, he simply turned on his heel, running off into the night and far away from them.

Will stepped back, his adrenaline melting away into nothing.

It was over-

The first round was finally _over_.

* * *

Once they were safe, nausea hit Will like a truck and he stumbled back, finding it hard to focus.

Arms quickly caught him before he could collapse and with bleary eyes, he looked back only to find with a heavy heart that it was Mike who’d caught him. El stood beside them, drained yet still managing to give him a small smile.

“Holy _shit,_ ” Lucas mumbled, almost as if he didn’t believe everything that had just taken place.

Max glanced over, pausing and staring at the short boy in shock. “W-Will… your nose…”

With a shaky hand, Will dabbed lightly at the sudden wetness on his upper lip, pulling back to find two of his fingers covered in blood.

“...oh,” he mumbled, swallowing thickly. “ _Oh_.”

“Here-” El murmured, her voice raspy from earlier. “Sit.” She nudged Mike, who understood and gently sat down with Will in between his legs. El knelt next to them, Max and Lucas following suit. Max quietly reached over, taking El’s hand in hers and giving it a gentle squeeze.

Will took a minute, waiting for the worst of his sick feeling to pass. He wiped his nose on his sleeve, sniffling as he looked at the girl next to him. “Are… are you okay?”

El paused, clearly having not expected the question. “I am… okay,” she murmured. “Are you?”

Will nodded, swallowing thickly once more. “Y-yeah,” he mumbled, giving a weak smile. “Just fine.”

“Well, we found two things out tonight,” Lucas murmured after the group sat in weird silence for a few moments. “One. Billy’s _definitely_ our new host, and two…?” He grinned, despite the madness that had occurred before. “William Byers is a real life CLERIC!”

Mike glared at him. “ _Dude._ ”

“What?” Lucas blinked. “You can’t tell me that isn’t the sickest shit ever!”

“It… _was_ pretty badass,” Max muttered with a half-hearted grin, nudging Will’s arm gently. “You saved our lives.”

“You saved _mine,_ ” Mike murmured in his ear. Will closed his eyes at the soft tone the other used, his heart aching a bit. It felt like forever since Mike had spoken to him like that.

“It was the least I could do,” Will told them with a teasing smile. “After everything you guys have done for me.”

“That’s what the Party is for,” Lucas said, grinning. “We’re always there for each other.”

Mike cracked a smile at that, holding Will subconsciously close. “Exactly.”

“...They scare me,” Will admitted after another moment of semi-comfortable silence, resting back against Mike’s chest. “My powers, I mean. I-I, uh… I don’t know where these powers came from o-or what they’re capable of. I just- Mike was in trouble and i-it was like riding a bike- like I’d used them before?”

“I’ll help you,” El told him without hesitation, gently taking the boy’s hand. “You’re not alone. You’re like me.”

“Like you,” Will repeated, his heart feeling just a little bit lighter at that statement. “Yeah… thank you.”

El simply smiled the brightest she had all day.

Mike held him a bit closer, giving El a grateful smile of his own.

“...Well,” Max started after yet another moment of weird silence. “As touching as this is, I really think we need to get going before Billy changes his mind and comes back for more.”

As tired as everyone was, they knew their Zoomer was right. They may be safe for the moment, but that safety wasn’t forever and their time was better spent away from danger and talking somewhere safe where they could rest and heal. 

Lucas took initiative, standing and stretching a bit as Max stood back up beside him. El followed suit and then turned, quickly holding out her hand for Will.

The Cleric took her hand, clinging to it a little too tightly as he pulled himself up with the last bit of strength he had. Mike immediately placed himself between them, wanting to make sure they were both okay as the group finally turned and left the ruined locker room.

As they walked, Will briefly let his mind wander, the events that had taken place making him a bit nervous. He never in a million years would have dreamed his trauma and the horrible things he went through would grant him powers, nor that the Mind Flayer would be back for more. So much was going on and it was starting to hurt his head just to think about it all.

It was scary.

But then Mike took his hand in his, and suddenly, Will didn’t feel as scared.

Suddenly, he was ready for round two.

He was ready to help them end it all for good.


End file.
